Smith Creek Fire in Boundary County at 15% containment, with region under fire weather watch

By Zach Hagadone
Reader Staff

While officials announced the Turner Fire was 100% contained as of July 25 — having burned about 681 acres five miles south of Copeland in Boundary County —  the Upper Smith Creek Fire remained active at 15% containment, according to a July 29 update.

Located roughly 20 miles northwest of Bonners Ferry, the Upper Smith Fire was caused by lightning and began July 8, consuming 1,648 acres, per the latest reports by press time.

Critically, the Boundary County Sheriff’s Office issued an upgraded fire evacuation status on July 28, putting the Westside and Smith Creek zones on “GO” status.

A total of 406 personnel were working the fire, including six helicopters, seven hand crews, two bulldozers, 12 engines, two masticators, three skidgines and 12 water tenders.

As of the July 29 update, firefighters were working to strengthen control lines while being supported by helicopters running suppression efforts across the entirety of the area. Aerial bucket drops were used to slow the fire’s downhill progress on the eastern flank of the incident.

Crews also continued to expand their efforts to protect structures, including both residences and outbuildings, as well as other at-risk properties.

As ground crews and helicopters worked to back down the fire on the east slope of the Upper Smith Creek drainage, weather conditions on July 29 were expected to include lower humidity and stable temperatures, with lighter winds in the lower elevations but gusts up to 15 miles per hour on ridgetops. Warmer and drier conditions were forecast on Thursday, July 30, with persistent winds. Smoke is expected to remain visible both in the valley and surrounding areas.

However, the entire Inland Northwest is under a fire weather watch for low humidity and winds until 11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, with affected areas including the north and central portions of the Idaho panhandle, through the Washington Cascades region, Spokane and south to the Palouse.

According to a July 29 alert from the National Weather Service in Spokane, winds of 15-30 mph are expected throughout the region with gusts in some areas up to 35-50 mph. Relative humidity across the Idaho panhandle is estimated at 25-36% throughout the period, with the strongest winds forecast for Aug. 1, which “may lead to rapid fire spread with any new or ongoing fires,” officials stated. 

In Boundary County, a closure order remains in effect for the Smith Creek Road and Long Canyon Trail, with more details available at fs.usda.gov/r01/idahopanhandle/alerts. Unrelated county road closures due to bridge work also continue to apply to Westside Road near Kerr Lake Road, and the fire officials strongly encourage the public to stay away from the entire Smith Creek drainage to make way for firefighting equipment and personnel.

Go to inciweb.wildfire.gov and search for the Upper Smith Fire for more updates throughout the week.